Yankees not happy with Ryan Dempster's suspension

Aug. 20, 2013
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In Alex Rodriguez's first at-bat in an Aug. 18 game in Boston, he was hit a pitch from the Red Sox's Ryan Dempster. Both benches were warned and Yankees manager Joe Girardi was ejected after arguing that Dempster should have been tossed out of the game. / Jared Wickerham, Getty Images

by Chad Jennings, USA TODAY Sports

by Chad Jennings, USA TODAY Sports

NEW YORK -- The New York Yankees won Game 1 of Tuesday's doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays, but the buzz in their clubhouse was about the five-game suspension handed to Boston Red Sox starter Ryan Dempster. The Yankees were confident Dempster would be suspended for throwing at Alex Rodriguez in Sunday's game, but five games felt light considering the Red Sox have two upcoming off days and Dempster is unlikely to miss a start. He'll just have it pushed back a day or so.

"I thought he at least should miss a start and he's not going to do that," pitcher CC Sabathia said. "I don't think it does anything."

While Sabathia thought that five games was at least enough to discourage other pitchers from going after Rodriguez, manager Joe Girardi seemed less certain. He said on Sunday that he was worried about something like this - that the Red Sox's schedule would keep Dempster from a legitimate punishment - and he was unhappy to hear about the five-game ban.

Girardi doesn't want other pitchers thinking they can go after Rodriguez and only pay the price with a slightly delayed start.

"That's my concern," Girardi said. "We'll find out. I sure hope (that doesn't happen). â?¦ I think when you talk about suspensions, if you suspend a position player three games, he misses three games. You can suspend a pitcher five games, even six games, and he might not miss a start if the off days come into play. That's why I think everything has to be taken into account when you make a suspension. Not just in this case; all the time."

It's understood that players are going to be plunked occasionally as a way to police the game, but this was a different case.

"It's definitely a different scenario," Sabathia said. "And even with the unwritten code, you don't throw at a guy four times. He violated every code in every way. â?¦ I'm sure if it happens again that hopefully somebody will see that this isn't enough and that guys need to be suspended longer."